River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-04-07

How PRIVATE GEORGE w. PECK PuT DowS
THE REBELLION, OR THE FUNNY E6PER-
FENCES or A RAW RECRUIT. ["War Pa
pers la Century MdgaziRe, From the
Standpoint of a Private Soldier, who
was Afraid of his Shadow, and who Did
MT Want TO Fight Unless he had TO.
BY the Author of Peck's Fun, Pecks
Sunshine, Peck's Bad Boy And His Pa,
Pecks Boss Book and Lots Of Such Stuff.
Illustrated with Sixteen Full-page illus
tration by True Williams Price Cloth
81, Paper Covers, 80 C. Bedford, Clark
4 Co., Publishers, Chicago and New
York.
The fountain Of Mr.. Peck's humor
seems to be what the Spring poets would
call perennial fountain. AS one of the
greatest of living poets says;
MAN may come and man may go,
But Peek's fun goes on forever"
There are no bounds to the range Of his
genuine wit, and no limit TO its supply.
Each book Mr.. Peck has presented TO the
public is full of unauthorized fun, fun as
brilliant and as harmless as summer light
ming. And best of all, fun that is fun on
the face of it, and does not require col
lege professor to bring dictionary to ex-
plain it. Not long ago bright little
SNiiN"J DShOol IVY was sA0NSN ~ H4D
teacher:
who is the greatest benefactor Of the
age?"
George w. Peck" was the prompt
reply.
And the dear child gave for his opinion
that Mr.. Peck had written Tine Bad
Boy and his Pa" And no wonder, for
Mr.. Peck has given the boys Of America
more to laugh at than any author who
ever wrote
But versatile and exhaustless as Mr..
Peck S wit has ptoved itselfto be in form
er books, he has struck a new vein in this
latest work. We have had good deal OF
the pomp and circumstance of glorious
war of late: Mr.. Peck presents US with
its humorous side. Under the guise of a
"Raw Recruit" Mr. Peck gives many OF
his own personal experiences of the war,
and many a veteran who reads these
| pages will be reminded of scenes in which
| he probably had some part.
This Raw Recruit" who as Mr.. Peck
says, was too scared TO fight, and toe
| frightened to run" tells his story of the
war in words that not only bring laughter
TO all faces, but tears 10 all eyes. Here
and there the Raw Recruit" tells of some
sad scene that stirs the deepest currents
| of compassion, and on the next page he
| tells some merry tale that wakes the loud
est laughter. 1t is perhaps a story OF
some desperate encounter or of making a
! funeral Grafton under the most peculiar
| cii cumstances; or Of being wounded in
the canteen, or by a locomotive; or oil
| building bridge which was an excellent
| bridge; only unfortunately 1t was over the
wrong stream, or of his experiences OF the
| tender mercies of a Rebel Angel who
| Cd l.ig ..,t a nf
| tai sOrrows and brought him back to
| health and happiness and peace. Through
his various war experiences the Raw Re
cruit' was brought into almost daily
| contact with the Chaplain, and the way
| the confidence and trust of the poor Re
| cruit is abused by that Chaplain and the
way that "Raw Recruit gets back at the
| Chaplain is worth three times the money
| you have to pay for the book. There are
| two chapters III the book that are worth
| special cOmmendation, chapters AIIl and
| XIV; in the former of these chapters the
"I.aw Recruit" is detained to search q
| female smuggler. The story of that es
| capade has no equal in any modern book
| for delicate humor and pathos. In the
| following chapter the experience OF a
| soldier who tres to search the Raw Re
| cruit, who is attired for The nonce as q
| lSLilStle SLluBSl6Il 10 VOiu 90 llO OIuSi man
but George W. Peck could tell 1t. And
the man who does not laugh at these
| chapters will die of dyspepsia. Mr.. Peck
has been most happy in the selection Of
| his artist. Nc. Williams whose fame II
| as wide as the continent, has entered
most thoroughly into the authors vary
| ing moods. Every illustration is true as
| life to the authors humOr. The pictures
of the chaplain up tree, of the Raw Re
cfuit mounting his Arab steed, and of the
way they went into camp, are very fine
| Every picture of the seIies is eminently
| illustrative of the text. Every veteran
who went to war will want to read this
book, and those who didn't go will wan
| to read it TO know how the veterans Tough
and how bravely they kept up then
courage when days were dark and cheer
| less.